Pieces
by viktriap
Summary: The Charmed Ones judge quickly and it – as always – has consequences. But maybe its not too late to change their mind and with that their future, and of course the future of one Cole Turner.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed. If I owned it (which would be superb) I wouldn't have to study civil law at the moment. (Oh, I just rememberred that I should learn instead of write! But who cares! ;)

This story takes place at the end of the season 3 episode „Exit strategy". A few days after Phoebe sends Cole away but before he goes back to the Underworld and kills Raynor. So in a way this is an AU. (But isn't every fanfic an AU?)

**Summary:** The Charmed Ones judge quickly and it – as always – has consequences. But maybe its not too late to change their mind and with that their future, and of course the future of one Cole Turner.

Please, please review!

**Pieces**

_Prologue_

He decided that he would make a last attempt to win Phoebe's forgiveness. If she says no again then he will leave and won't come back. He didn't have his hopes high though. He knocked on the door of the Manor and then waited nervously.

The door was opened by Phoebe, but the smile that was on her face vanished immediately as soon as she saw who the visitor was.

„What do you want?" she asked coldly.

„Just to talk."

„We have nothing to talk about!"

„Don't you want to know what really happened?"

„I know what happened, because I was there. You killed a witch!"

„I didn't do it on my own will..."

„I didn't see it that way!"

„You don't know what Raynor is capable of!" Cole said desperateley. „You don't know what he's like and what he meant to me!"

„You are right, Cole! And you know what? I'm not interested at all!"

„But Phoebe... I tried so hard..."

Meanwhile the two other sisters joined them as well but this only decreased Cole's chances.

„You had your chance, Cole!" Phoebe said. „Please go!"

Prue stepped closer emphasizing her sister's words.

„I'm sorry Phoebe! I just wish you could understand me better..." he whispered and shimmered out.

Just in that moment a strange whirlwind rose in the hall and the world started to spin around the girls. All three of them stumbled and looked at eachother stunned but then it seemed as if they were flying in different directions and a few seconds later everything went black around them.

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Please, click forward to chapter one!


	2. Chapter 1: Phoebe

**Chapter 1: Phoebe**

When Phoebe opened her eyes her first thought was to look for her sisters, but she saw them nowhere. Just after she had diagnosed this did she study her environment. The result wasn't too funny: she stood in front of a strange building that seemed as if it was carved into the cave-wall. It had a black gate and there was a sign on it but it was written in a language that Phoebe didn't even recognize. All in all this was definetely a place in the Underworld.

Suddenly the gate opened up and Phoebe looked around frantically for cover. But there was no hiding place and soon a lot of figures stormed out of the building. Phoebe practically froze but then something strange happened: the first figure – a quite human-looking demon with small horns on his forehead – simply went through her! _What the hell happened? Did she die? Was she ghost now? But if she had died why would she be in the Underworld? _It made no sense, so she decided to wait out the situation.

More and more demons came out of the building and they all looked youngsters, so Phoebe came to the conclusion that this was some kind of school.

The students slowly left but Phoebe saw that three 'boys' stopped next to the gate and obviously waited for something or for somebody. They whispered amongst themselfes in a conspritory manner.

They all looked like humans and Phoebe knew that this meant that they were upper-level demons. They all seemed to be about fifteen.

Phoebe just decided to go closer and listen to their conservation when a fourth boy came out. Phoebe gasped: the blue eyes, the dark hair and the way he moved – it was definetely Cole! She recognized him immediately. He was a tall teenager but he was thinner than the others and his outfit more poorish. The other boys were wearing elegant trousers and shirts and robes that definitely were made of silk. Cole on the other hand had ragged jeans on and a shirt made of canvas. He was carrying a raunchy haversack over his shoulder and while walking he was reading a book. That's why he didn't see the ones who were waiting for him.

The tallest demon that was clearly the leader of the small group went after him and pushed him so hard that he dropped the book. Cole turned though quickly and took up a defensive posture.

„Did you finish the cleaning, half-breed?" he asked with a nasty smile.

„Get off, Carnac! I know that you made that mess purposefully!"

„And what if I did? The school has its servants to clean it up, doesn't it?"

Cole didn't answer just gritted his teeth.

„I see you learned your lesson!" Carnac said and pushed Cole again.

This time he almost fell but win back his balance quikcly and without hesitation he launched forward and punched his opponent in the face so hard that he really fell.

„Maybe I didn't learn it well enough!" he said defiantly.

Carnac jumped up and waved at his companions. The fight that followed was fierce but short. After about five minutes Cole was on the ground held down by the two friends of Carnac. He still tried to shake them off but without any result. The leader of the bullies bent down and punched Cole hard in the face. His nose started to bleed quite strongly.

Then they let him go but Carnac said while leaving:

„I'll make sure that my father knows about your lack of respect and I'm sure that it won't make a difference whose little pet you are!"

Pheobe watched as they left and as Cole pulled himself up from the ground, tried to set his clothes in order – but his shirt was torn and bloody – picked up his bag and book and started off.

Phoebe followed him. She didn't know how this could happen but she was clearly in the past and she was more than curious. By now she knew magic well enough to understand that she would be here as long as necessary. '_I wish you could understand me better...'_ this were Cole last words to her. Could those words cause her visit here? Maybe. Before the events of the last days she often thought about it how Cole's life might have been before they met, but she never asked him. She assumed that he wouldn't want to speak about those times. Maybe she was wrong.

After about fifteen minutes of walking they arrived at another building. This one was much fancier than the school, more like a palace but Cole used a small wooden door to get in instead of the huge gate. They came into a kitchen – it was very big, with a huge oven and three open fires – where a dozen women were working over long tables.

One of the women – the eldest one – looked up and glimpsed the boy.

„What happened to you again?" she asked casually as if this seeing the boy in torn and bloody clothes had been an everyday event.

„Nothing."

„That _nothing_ tore your shirt quite badly. Give it to me and I sew it quickly, because our Lord wants to see you!"

Cole pulled the shirt over his head and gave it to the woman. She sat down on a chair and started to sew.

„Go and get cleaned!" the woman said and Cole obeyed.

He walked out the kitchen and through a courtyard. In the left corner there was another door and he went to that one. Phoebe didn't count on anything superb after he saw Cole's clothing and heard how the other boys talked to him but even her low expectations proved to be too high. The 'room' was rather only an alcove with a straw matress as a bed, a bookshelf and a small table.

Cole dropped down his bag and cleaned himself using the small basin that was on the table. Then he rushed back to the kitchen.

„Are you ready with my shirt, Sara?" he asked when he stepped in.

„Yes, yes! Here it goes!"

He put it quickly on. The bloodstain could still be seen but it was lighter than before. Then they – as Phoebe still followed him - hurried through a long corridor and soon they arrived in front of a door that was guarded by two demons.

Cole stopped so abruptly that Phoebe would have crashed into him, hadn't she been transparent at the moment.

One of the guards turned at the boy who bowed his head respectfully.

„Our Lord already awaits you" the guard said and opened the door.

Behind it there was a huge study with an enormous desk but other than that it was furnished rather simply. At the desk sat a man in his forties who Phoebe saw only once but she rememberred him quite well. He was the demon called Raynor. Cole bowed even deeper this time than for the guard.

„You're late, Belthazor!" Raynor said as a greeting.

„I'm sorry, Master. My work at the school lasted longer today."

„Never mind! I got your evaluation from your teachers" he said and then stopped.

Phoebe saw how Cole held back his breath.

„I was very satisfied with the results, my boy. You ran rings round the sons of the most noble demons. You did very well and I'm proud of you."

Cole smiled genuinenly.

„Thank you, Master."

Phoebe saw how happy he was about winning his mentor's praises.

„Seeing your results, I decided that I would take you to the next Brotherhood-meeting."

„Thank you, Master" he said again.

„You deserve it. And now tell me what happened to your face and clothes!"

And Cole told the truth in details. Phoebe saw that he was afraid of the reaction and when he finished Raynor seemed rather angry, but not at his protegee.

„Don't bother yourself about those bastards, Belthazor. They might have purer blood than you but they have half of your talent and brain."

Cole smiled thankfully at the older man.

„However if Carnac tells his father he will probably ask the school to punish you properly."

„I know, sir."

„All right" the demon stood up and pulled a thick book from the shelf. He gave the book to Cole.

„I want you to read this by the time we go to the meeting."

„Yes, sir."

„Now you can go."

Cole walked back to the kitchen happily where the woman named Sara gave him some food. Later he went back to his room, sat down and started to read the book. Phoebe just sat down as well and watched him. He seemed to be so determined as if he wanted to read the thick book then and there.

As she watched him she thought about the scene she's just seen. She realized that Cole was hungry for appreciation and Raynor gave him just that. Phoebe learned something in the past years: demons didn't have emotions – even Cole himself told her so – but the boy in front of her clearly had. She felt a warmness around her heart that she thought to be vanished after she saw how Cole killed an innocent witch.

But it clearly didn't go away. The teenager Cole was so much like his adult self: the way he sat on the floor casually, how he winked his eyes while he was concentrating on the book... and he awakened the same feelings in Phoebe.

Hours went by until Cole at last put down the book and blew out the candle. Phoebe though wasn't tired – maybe because she wasn't in her body – so she just watched the sleeping form of the boy and realized one thing: whatever he told herself, she was still very much in love with Cole Turner.

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The next morning Cole woke up very early, got up and went out into the courtyard where a few small cabins stood. Phoebe realized that those were like showers. So Cole took a quick shower and then went to the school.

The building was empty when they arrived but Cole went in with his own keys and went straight to a room that was full of cleaning stuff. He collected some of them and started off around the school. He went in every room and where he found some mess he cleaned it up.

Most rooms looked like training-rooms and in some of them there were bloodstains on the floor or on the walls.

By the time the students arrived, Cole was ready and he went into one of the training-rooms, probably for his first lesson. The demon-boys from yesterday were also there and the one that Cole called Carnac smiled quite cruelly at him. At least in Phoebe's opinion.

There were only boys in the class and when the teacher arrived they quickly formed a line. Obvioulsy it was a routine and everybody had his place in the row.

„Before we start the practice" the teacher spoke, „the director wants to see you, Belthazor so you're dismissed from the lesson."

Cole nodded and left the line. The director's office was an a lower level and it offered a new surprise for Phoebe. The director was Raynor himself.

„I think you know why you're here" said the powerful demon without preamble.

„Yes, Master."

„Carnac's father is very powerful. He's very near to the Source and he insisted on carrying out the punishment himself. I couldn't say no, but a teacher will be there to assure your safety. He might be powerful but he still fears me, so don't worry: he won't hurt you too badly."

„I understand."

„I know you do. Go to the basement."

Cole nodded and left. The basement was even darker than other parts of the Underworld. Cole went straight to a specific door, so Phoebe assumed that he was here before. In the small room there was no furniture except a strange-looking bench and two demons. One of them was in demon-form: he had dark-green skin and almost red eyes. The other one – who was obviously the teacher – nodded at Cole and the boy took off his shirt, folded it neatly, kneeled on the floor in front of the bench and bent over it. Pheobe saw that there were straps on the side of the bench. The teacher secured them around Cole's wrists and stepped back to the wall. As Raynor had said, he was just an observer here just like Phoebe.

She wathced horrified as the green demon went to a dark corner and took something in his hand. It was a device wattled from leather-straps: it seemed strong and flexible at the same time.

When the demon crushed down for the first time Phoebe shuddered involuntary as she saw that the mighty demon used all his strength. Cole didn't flinch but Phoebe saw how he gritted his teeth and how his hands turned into fists. Every strike left dark, red stains on the boy's back and perspiration soon covered his face but he didn't make a sound. This only angered the demon and his blows became stronger and stronger until they induced blood. Cole bit in his lips so hard that they started to bleed as well and shut his eyes tightly.

„Enough!" the teacher said and Phoebe sighed releived.

The demon growled and pounced down again.

„You don't want to damage Lord Raynor's property, do you?"

The demon growled even louder but put down the ugly device and mumbling somehting he left the room.

The teacher opened the restraints and Cole pushed himself away from the bench and stood up.

„I hate this snobs!" the teacher said loudly. Then he turned to the boy who was putting on his shirt. „Lord Raynor said that you can go home for today."

„Thank you, but I rather stay."

The teacher nodded: „Then I see you in class in ten minutes" and with that he left.

Cole leant against the wall, bent down his head and took a few deep breathes. Phoebe knew of course that demons had a different physical buildup but at the moment she only saw a fifteen year old boy who was suffering. He stayed in that position for about five minutes and then followed the teacher. They went back to a classroom.

The teacher from before was in there already and about a dozen students. They all stared at Cole when he walked in but he didn't care. The boys soon stood into a circle and waited for the teacher to speak.

„Today Lord Raynor decided to honor our class" he began and nodded at the gallery where Phoebe glimpsed the upper-level demon. He was sitting in the shadows but he could see everything from up there.

„We will practice hand to hand fight today" he continued and looked over the boys. „Who wants to be first?"

It wasn't like in human high-schools where everybody wanted to lie as low as possible: every student stepped forward instantly and the teacher smiled.

„It seems its my choice again... well, let's see. Carnac!" the boy from yesterday stepped into the cirlce. The teacher glimpsed upwards and Phoebe caught the slight nod of Raynor's head. „Belthazor!"

Phoebe couldn't beleive that Cole was actually happy that he was chosen. She saw the slight flicker in his eyes that showed that he was satisfied. His face though stayed cold like a mask. Every other student stepped back leaving place for the participants.

They eyed and circled each-other like predators do. Phoebe couldn't see any sign of injury or weakness in Cole's movemments which was for her a miracle afer the beating the boy suffered only minutes ago. He sidestepped Carnac's first attack easily then launched forward and hit his opponent in the chest. The other boy stumbled but stayed standing. He tried to kick out Cole's legs but only opposed a free surface for attack. Cole unblanced him but couldn't tackle him to the ground. Phoebe studying martial arts in the last years knew some of the manoeuvres but most of them were too complicated for her. Sometimes they moved so fast that she could hardly follow them with her eyes.

One thing she could see clearly though: now that the conditions were equal Cole was much better than Carnac. He got in a few hard blows that's for sure but Carnac's face was bleeding from many cuts and he moved so that he was favouring his right side where some of his ribs were obviously badly bruised or even broken. It didn't last much longer until he gave up. After getting in another blow he fell to the ground and stayed there.

„Do you surrender?" the teacher asked.

„Yes..." the demon-boy mumbled quietly, clearly humiliated.

Cole glanced at the gallery to see his mentor's reaction and smiled slightly when he saw the approval on the older man's face. Now that the fight was over the signs of his previous ordeal showed themeselfes: he was pale and a little bit unsteady on his feet but he seemed to be really happy for a moment...

Then the world around Phoebe faded out and she found herself in the blackness again.

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	3. Chapter 2: Piper

I'll probably updat this story much quicker than my other ones as it's practically ready except one chapter. I hope you like this one and once again: please let me know what you think! It always motivates me a lot.

Thank you for reading!

**Chapter 2: Piper**

Piper knew that she was in the past in the moment she saw the furniture. It wasn't hard to realize it as she liked period movies (which Leo really hated, by the way!) and the environment reminded her of the beginning of the twentieth century. She also knew that she wasn't in the room physically because the little boy who sat at the table and was drawing something didn't even flinch, however he was looking exactly at her when she appeared here.

The boy couldn't be more than four and was chewing on the end of his pencil at the moment with a dreamy expression.

Suddenly – somewhere very near – a baby started to cry. The boy gave a start, jumped up and rushed out of the room. Piper followed him curiously. They went into the next room where a cot stood in the middle. The boy ran to it and lifted the baby with practice.

„Don't cry!" he tried to speak calmly but Piper heard a panicky undertone in his voice. „Mother said that we should be quiet! She has a guest and she doesn't want us to disturb her. Okay, Rosie?"

While he was speaking he was also cradling the baby who stopped crying quickly and was watching the boy with her huge blue eyes.

The resemblance between the two children was so obvious that Piper instantly assumed that they were siblings.

„Aren't you sleepy anymore?" the boy asked and the baby grinned at him happily as an answer and started to play with his dark hair.

„Ouch! This hurts! Let's play something instead!"

He put down the little one on the ground and from under the cot pulled out a box which was full of wooden building blocks. Before sitting down he closed the door carefully.

Then he started to build something, maybe a castle. The little girl who wasn't even one year old, in Piper's opinion, pulled herself into a sitting position and watched her big brother with awe. Then she tried to latch on to the game by grabbing a block and shuffling it on the floor.

Piper watched them with a smile on her face and was wondering about her own future: maybe one day she will be able to watch her own children this way.

„Cole!"

The shout scared not just the children but also Piper. Not just because the woman sounded really angry but because she just realized who the small boy had to be and why he was so familiar from the first second on.

The boy – Cole – jumped up and started to toss back the blocks into the box. But before he could finish it a dishevelled looking woman stormed into the room. Her blouse was misbuttoned, her hair stood at different directions and her make up was smeared. She held a crumpled piece of paper in her right hand.

„I have told you a thousand times not to let your filthy things around the house!" she shouted.

„I'm sorry, mother..." the boy mumbled.

„Don't be sorry! Just do what I tell you!"

Meanwhile she reached the children – and quite out of the blue, for Piper – she slapped her son hard. With the free hand she grabbed the smaller child, lifted her and practically dropped her back into the cot.

„It's your luck that your father comes home soon, else you would get your share!" she spoke angrily. „Put those things away! You know that I hate those childish games of yours."

„Yes, mother!"

„I want silence while I'm preparing myself for your father. We'll have a great evening today!"

Piper saw that Cole wanted to ask what his mother meant but thought it better to shut his mouth. The next moment the woman was already out of the room.

Cole put away the toys and then sat down next to the cot and quietly started to tell a story about a prince and a dragon.

Piper had to admit that there was nothing demonic about the two children. She knew as much that Cole's father was human and only his mother was a demon but she always thought that Cole was his mother's son.

Soon they heard a door banged and then a happy voice of a man could be heard:

„I'm home!"

„Do you hear that Rosie?" Cole picked up his sister and rushed out to meet his father, Piper right on his heels.

Piper saw at an instant that in appearance none of the children were like their father. Mr. Turner had warm brown eyes and brwon hair that was missing on the top, he also had glasses on, was rather thin and tall and definitely much older than his wife. When he glimpsed his children though he dropped down the suitcase he was holding and opened his arms for a hug.

„I'm so glad that you're back!" Cole said after he was hugged tightly and the baby was taken from his arms.

„I'm also very glad my son! Oh, and here's my little angel!" he smiled at the baby who grinned back at him. „Where's your mother?"

„Up somewhere..."

In that moment the woman appeared at the top of the stairs.

„Darling!" she greeted his husband with a smile that Piper recognized to be fake. But Mr. Turner didn't see anything as his jaw practically dropped by her sight.

Piper also had to admit that the woman looked amazing in her thight black dress that showed every curve of her perfect body.

„Elizabeth, my dear, you're more beautiful than I rememberred."

They kissed each-other.

„Are we celebrating something?" the man asked.

„Yes..." the woman smile misterously. „I got some news from home."

„As I see those news were good."

„The best!"

„Are you going to tell me?"

„Of course... I'll tell you right now..."

The next second a knife appeared in the woman's hand from nowhere. Her husband's face went pale, his eyes wide and he stumbled backwards.

„This..."

„This is an athame, my dear!" her voice changed, it went deeper and Piper saw that her eyes went black.

„Oh, my God..." the man moaned and those were his last words before the knife stabbed into his throat. Blood was splashing in every direction and the man collapsed to the ground.

There was a stunned silence in the hall, even the baby was silent however she must have hit herself quite badly when she fell, together with his father.

The female demon meanwhile kneeled next to the fallen man and held a strange-looking ball over his head that soon filled itself with milky fog. The man slowly went completely limp and Piper knew that he was dead.

The woman didn't even look back as she spoke.

„Pick up your sister, we'll leave soon!"

Piper only now looked at the boy. His face was almost grey as if together with his father he had lost his own soul as well. Despite this he kneeled down obediently to pick up his sister. Then though he came face to face with his father. He froze in that kneeling position and gently caressed the man's hand. Then Piper saw the first tear-drop rolling down his face and she almost started to cry as well. Cole just kneeled there for long moments and cried silently until his mother came back.

„Don't cry here you pathetic worm!" she grabbed her son by his hair, jerked him up and propelled him into the opposite wall. The baby girl started to cry when she saw this happen.

„I told you to pick up your sister! And silence her or I cut her throat as well!"

Cole picked up the baby without a sound and started to whisper something into her ear, but without success. He looked desperately at his mother, then he put his hand over the baby's mouth. This suprised the little girl so much that she stopped crying, actually.

The woman changed her dress upstairs and now was wearing leather trousers and such a tight top that it made even Piper blush. She had a middle-sized bag over her shoulder.

„Come here!"

Cole stepped to her side, she grabbed his shoulder tightly and they shimmered out.

Piper thought that now she would lose them, but to her surprise she was pulled along and soon found herself in a very different enviroment: in the Underworld.

„Don't lag behind!" she barked and then started off so fast that the four-year-old practically had to run.

They were on a crowded market-like place full of different kinds of magical beings, colourful tents and dark huts. The woman looked around and smiled satisfied.

„At last!" she exclaimed and then she made a move to a nearby tent.

The owner, a filthy, bearded man rushed forward when he glimpsed her.

„Tigra! I haven't seen you for ages!"

„Hi, Vendel! I brought you something interesting" she said after they shook hands and she took out something of her bag. It was a box of jewellery.

„Nice pack" the man said and studied the content piece by piece carefully. „I'll give you four-hundred."

„Seven-hundred" the woman said.

„Oh, no!" the he thought about again. „I'll give you one-thousand for the jewellery and the boy."

Piper felt horrified and waited for the woman's answer.

„The boy worth much more. He has my blood, but I'll give you the other one."

„I don't take babies, too much trouble."

Cole held her sister so tightly that Piper was surprised that she hasn't started to yell, yet. He clearly understood what the adults were talking about. He looked scared but not surprised so Piper guessed that he had been here before and that he knew about his demonic heritage.

„All right, I'll give you five-hundred but this is my last offer."

The woman growled.

„You're a robber, Vendel. But I need the money until I get back on the track."

The man counted down the money.

„What are you doing with those two?" he asked while Tigra was putting away her money.

„I'll take them to somebody who pays more. The boy has power so one of the Lords might be interested in him."

„Go to Raynor. He might see some fantasy in him.

„Thanks, Vendel. See you later."

She pushed her way through the crowd without caring for her children at all and went to a wooden building. Piper thought it could be only a pub.

„You stay here!" she said and went in.

Cole looked around startled then went away from the entrance a little bit and sat down in the dust. His eyes were scanning the crowd continously. Sometimes a demon looked at them but other then that nobody showed any interest and Piper was grateful for that. She would have liked to sit down next to them to take them into her arms and take them away from this ugly place, but she couldn't so she just watched.

Before this she could have never imagined Cole as a child and this scene made her realize how quickly she judged the man. A man who lived for a hundred years and who probably lived through a lot. Things that formed him into the the person he was now. She realized that she never thought about him as a complex person. He was just the demon who fell in love with Phoebe, nothing more.

She was thinking about this when the woman came back out (she couldn't think about her as their mother anymore as she didn't behave like a mother at all!)

„Come!" she growled again and Cole jumped immediately.

Piper realized that the boy hasn't spoken a word since his father was murdered.

They shimmered again and this time they arrived in front of a huge building that looked almost like a palace. Tigra knocked on the gate that was almost instantly opened by a creature that reminded Piper of a hybrid dog who walked on two legs.

„Who are you and what do you want?" he asked.

„My name's Tigra. Your Lord knows me. I have a business offer for him."

„Wait here!" the gate was closed again in their faces.

They had to wait for about ten minutes before the servant came back.

„Follow me!" he said.

The woman walked in but Cole didn't. He probably didn't know what to do: wait outside for his mother or go after her.

After a few steps the female-demon realized that her children weren't there and she turned with a furious expression on her face.

„What are you waiting for, you little bastard?"

Cole practically ran after her and got a good slap on the back of his head, he almost fell forward.

„I told you not to lag behind, didn't I?"

They went through a courtyard, then along some corridors and were then led into a huge room. A middle-aged man was waiting for them in there. The woman bowed.

„Lord Raynor!"

„Tigra, tell me, what brings you here?"

„I have an offer for you, sir. This" and she pushed Cole forward a little bit, „is my son."

She said the word 'son' as if it were something very disgusting. The upper-level demon looked at the boy quite interested. He studied him for a long time while Cole was looking up at him with wide eyes, then Raynor said.

„He's a half-blood."

„Unfortunately. But he isn't weak."

The demon stepped closer and Cole wanted to step backward but his mother held him tightly by the shoulder. Raynor held his hand over the boy's head and after a few seconds he smiled satisfied.

„No, he definitely isn't weak. I'll take him."

The woman nodded.

„And the other one?"

Raynor made the same examination with the girl and this time he frowned slightly.

„Strange... she will never have much power. But it still would be a waste to kill her. I might be able to use her as well."

He nodded and waved at the servant who was standing at the door.

„Take these two to Sara. She should give them clothes and give the boy..." he turned back to the child. „What's your name?"

„Cole..." he said barely audiably.

Tigra hit his son on the back.

„His name is Belthazor, sir."

„I see. Well" he turned back to the servant. „Give Belthazor the room behind the kitchen and Sara should take care of the girl until she's older. And now Tigra, come with me. We can talk about the price in my study..."

Suddenly everything faded around Piper and darkness engulfed her again.

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	4. Chapter 3: Prue

So, here's the next chapter. I hope there are some people out there who like this story. Please let me know if you do! Thanks for reading!

Chapter 3: Prue

„What the hell...!" exclaimed Prue when she landed on something hard with a thud.

She opened her eyes – that she didn't even realized closing – and saw a strange environment around herself. She was in a room packed full with odd and obviously old objects: statues, medals, jewelley and other things that she couldn't identify. It looked like some kind of storeroom. This was comfirmed by the huge unpacked cases with the sign 'fragile' on them in one of the corners.

In the middle behind a desk sat an elderly man with white heard and a neatly trimmed beard. He studied some old paper through a loupe. Prue went closer.

„Excuse me..." the man didn't react so she went even closer and waved her hand in front of him. No reaction. „Great... Where the hell am I and how could this happened?" she wondered.

The door opened suddenly and a younger man walked in carrying an other case. This one had dark hair and she knew him: it was Phoebe's demon-ex-boyfriend. He looked a few years younger though and it meant that they were somewhere in the past, old-fashioned clothes the two men were wearing told the same.

„This is the last one, Professor!" Cole said.

_Proessor? Since when lived porfessors in the Underworld? _Prue was wondering.

„Thank you" said the older man absent-mindedly, he didn't glance up at all. „Come here, please!"

Cole stepped behind him after he had put down the box and looked at the paper over the professor's shoulder.

„Look at this! Look the small signs between the written lines!"

Cole took the paper and the loupe and studied it for a few moments.

„Well, what do you think?"

„These are celtic runes."

„Exactly, exactly!" the grey-haired man said satisfied. „But how do you think come celtic runes on an Egyptian parchment?"

„I have no idea, sir."

„Neither have I. It's a real mistery again, so our new priority is to translate this text! I'd like you to make a few copies of it and keep one for yourself. Work on it! You've helped a lot the last time, as well."

„I'm glad if I can help, Professor!"

„Before you start with the copies..." he couldn't finish as the door opened again and an other man in his sixties came in. „Ah, Professor Nivens!" he greeted the newcomer.

„Professor Clarke!"

They shook hands and then the first professor turned back to Cole.

„Please, Cole, go to the other room and start to unpack the remaining findings. I'll go after we'd finished the buisness talk, here!"

Prue didn't know what to think about this whole situation but the older man didn't look like a demon. He looked like a lightheaded human professor and Prue found him quite funny and nice. Prue still didn't know how she landed here and why would she go to Belthazor's past? _This_ was a real mistery!

Meanwhile Cole left and the professors continued their conversation.

„Your assistant seems to be useful!" Nivens was saying.

„Yes, he's a real treasure. Considering that he has no degree at all, he's very outstanding especially in old languages. He never tells though how and where he learned so much!"

„Yes. This is a little bit suspisious, don't you think so? I took the liberty to make a little investigation. This man has no papers, Peter! Due to my sources he hasn't crossed our borders at all! Didn't you say that he came from the United States?"

„So he told me. Whatever, dear Niven: if he had had cruel intentions he would surely have done something by now! He's been working here for six months!"

„Yes, I know, but still..."

„No more of this, my friend! He's an outstandig assistant and I trust him."

„All right then" sighed Nivens. „But I hope he doesn't stays here anymore! If the governours find out that we let an employee stay here... They are already nervous about you studying occultism here..."

„No, no! My wife found a room for him at one of her friend's house. You know, Charlene really got to like this boy. She told me it's bracing to meet a man who doesn't speak all the time!"

„You see, there's a lot of truth in that one!" laughed Nivens.

Just then a muffled cry could be heard from the room next door, then some clashing and a thud. The two older men jumped up and rushed to the neighboring room.

The sight that greeted them made them stop: Cole was kneeling on the floor, pieces of a broken ancient object in front of him and blood floating freely form his left hand. But this wasn't the most stunning thing: he had a painful and frightened expression on his face and Prue looked for demons immediately. But there was nobody else in the room. Professor Clarke rushed to his subordinate's side an kneeled down.

„Don't you feel well, my son?" he asked worriedly. „Tell me something! What heppened?"

„I..." Cole's voice was hoarse and quiet. Then he shook his head as if waking up from a dream and the frightened expression vanished, at least partly. He slowly staggered to the feet. „I'm sorry, Professor. I have to go now!"

„What do you mean? You can't go! What happened? And your hand is bleeding strongly, you need to see a doctor..."

Cole pulled his arm from the professor's grip and started to the door.

„I can't stay... I have to go" he repeated determined.

„But..." started the professor again.

„I'm sorry."

With that he left the room and shimmered instantly when he was out of the humans' eyesight.

Prue could only imagine how they reacted when they found the other room empty as she was pulled with Cole and the next moment she found herself in a cave, definitely in the Underworld.

A half dozen demons stood around the place and a seventh figure who was lying on the floor. Prue couldn't make out much in the dim light but the figure was clearly a woman. Her clothes were ragged and bloody though and she didn't move at all.

„I knew that you only needed some motivation to come back to us!" the demon who stood in the middle said. He had a hood over his head so Prue couldn't see his face.

Cole just stood, facing all of them, unmoving. But Prue could feel tension radiate from every muscle in his body. The demons – except one, who stayed back to guard the woman – stepped closer in a menacing manner.

„If he tries something, kill her!" the hooded demon, obviously the leader, said.

Cole clenched his fists but didn't make another move. He didn't move either when two demons stepped to him and forced him to kneel down, wrenching back both his arms.

„Bow to our Liege!" growled one of them, but Cole continued to look in the hooded demon's face until his capturer pushed his head down and held it there with a tight hand.

„Do you want to tell something in your defense, Belthazor?" asked the leader coldly.

Cole didn't speak so the demon behind him kicked him hard.

„Answer, half-breed!"

„You can do to me what you want but please let her go!" he said.

Hearing this the demon started to laugh.

„You think it will be so simple? You betrayed me! Me, the Source of All Evil, the Ruler of the Underworld! Your Liege!" he stepped closer and raised his prisoner's head, while he pushed back the hood from his face.

Prue gasped seeing the scarred pale face of the demon that radiated power and cruelty.

„I won't kill you, Belthazor. It would be too good for you! I want you to suffer for what you did. I want you to give up your human side and serve me with all of your loyalty!"

He glanced back at the woman on the ground.

„I could use your sister easily but I don't want to! I don't want to use your weakness, I want to break your strength. I want to break you!"

He waved and from the shadows stepped out another demon. This one had pale face, his skin stretched on his skull and black robe covered his skinny body. He looked like the Death. Not the Angel of Death who Prue had met but the Death as most human imagined it.

„Meet Harak! You will spened a lot of time with him: he will keep you here until you give up your human side and let your demonic powers rule you! Still nothing to say?" he asked then. „Maybe some explanation for your deed?

„Would it count? I don't think you would understand it anyway..." Cole said quietly. Hearing the disrespect in his voice the two minions wrenched his arms back even harder.

„Well, then. Degan!"

The demon that guarded the woman answered immediately.

„Yes, My Liege?"

„I know you've always liked this female half-breed: she's yours. Do to her whatever you want but don't kill her!"

„No!"

Cole tore himself from the demon's clench and launched at the Source.

The demon shot a blue energy bolt from his hand that hit Cole straight in the chest so hard that he flew against the opposite wall and then fell to the ground breathing heavily. The Source stepped to him, grabbed into his hair and jerked up his head.

„And just that you know it: your job was done by someone else. The girl you wanted to save is dead and I assure you she had the slowest death possible."

Prue didn't know what girl they were talking about but she saw the anger in Cole's eyes and it told her enough. The Source waved again and strong chains appeared around the half-demon's wrists.

Meanwhile the demon named Degan pulled up the young woman from the floor. She was barely consious, her face was bruised and bloody and her eyes looked blindly at the world.

„I'll kill you for this, Degan!" Cole spoke the words quietly but there was a promise in his voice and danger.

So much danger that Prue shivered because she realized one thing: these words were told by the human and not by the demon, she was sure about it. Degan only smiled though and shimmered out, together with his praise.

The two demons that were holding him pulled up Cole from the ground and the Source bent very close to his face:

„Enjoy your stay here!" and he shimmered out as well.

Now Harak took over the lead.

„Bring him after me!" he ordered.

The demons dragged their prisoner along a corridor roughly using every opportunity to kick or hit him. So by the time they arrived at their destination Cole looked almost as ragged as his sister had. Harak opened a door and behind it was a small and very dark cell. It was only about two times two meters but Prue could hardly see the opposite wall even so that the door was open. Cole was pushed inside unceremonously and the door was closed with a bang.

In that moment the door seemed to be fading and Prue felt herself fall again.

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8


	5. Chapter 4: Phoebe

First of all thank you for your reviews and thank you for reading this story. Secondly a warning: this chapter is the one (and maybe the last one) why I rate this story as "M". It has nothing graphic though.

And now on with the story!

Chapter 4: Phoebe

Phoebe still wasn't in the Manor when she opened her eyes again. Instead she was at a party – or so she guessed – but she was still in the Underworld. This time she sighted Cole immediately. He seemed to be about eighteen this time. There were a lot of demons around, all dressed in elegant dresses or suits and some of them in more demonic clothes, namely robes. Raynor was also there, immersed in a conversation with a female-demon. Cole stood behind his mentor: he was still wearing simpler clothes than the others – black trousers and a black shirt but those looked much better than the ones Phoebe saw him wearing the last time. He was scanning the crowd constantly but other than that he was like a statue. Raynor finished the conversation and turned to Cole.

„Don't be so stiff, my boy! This is a party after all and our Ruler will soon arrive. Nobody will venture an attack against me here and now."

„You told me yourself, Master that your enemies are everywhere."

„Yes, Belthazor but these enemies are more cunning than to use violence."

„The more dangerous they are" Cole said quietly.

„Yes, you're right."

Suddenly the lights went out and the quiet music stopped. One of the huge doors opened and a hooded figure walked inside. He was followed by four heavily armed guards. As he went all the demons in his way bowed to him. The Source – the demon couldn't be anybody else – went to the throne that stood in the back of the room. Soon one of the guards approached Raynor.

„Our Liege requires you company, Lord Raynor" he said in a respectful manner.

„You stay here" the senior demon said to Cole and followed the guard.

Phoebe saw that Cole never took his eyes off of his menthor for the whole time. Raynor spoke to the Source for a while than turned and gestured at Cole to come to them. For a moment Phoebe saw something flicker in the young man's eyes – something akin to fear but he obeyed nonetheless. He walked there with steady steps, stopped behind Raynor, bowed his head and stayed that way.

„This is Belhtazor, My Liege. He's my best student."

„Raise!" the Source ordered and Phoebe shivered hearing the raw power in his voice.

Cole looked up and now there was no sign of the former fear in his eyes. The Source studied him for a while.

„You're right, Raynor. I see the potential in him" he said then. With a wave of his clawed hands he dismissed Cole who bowed again and then left. Phoebe though stayed behind to hear what the demons were talking about.

„He still has human emotions" the Source said matter-of-factly.

„I don't think that we will manage to get rid of them completely but his human side has its advantages."

„How so?"

„He's looking for acknowledgement even more than pure demons. His way of thinking is different, he outsmarts both demons and humans. And he's attached to me because of his human soul, this way I can control him and I can be sure that he stays loyal to me and of course to You, My Liege."

„I see. Start giving him more serious tasks and then we'll see."

With that he seemingly finished the conversation and Raynor started to leave but the voice of another demon stopped him.

„Lord Raynor!"

Phoebe only now saw the dark-skinned demon that stood next to the throne. From the respectful nod Phoebe guessed the this demon stood very high in the hiearchy.

„Lord Baran, how can I help you?" Raynor asked.

„I'd like to have a word with you about your new protegee" he said in a voice that made the hair on Phoebe's neck raise.

This Baran was a rather scary-looking demon with his almost black skin that was covered with fur at some places. He was much taller than Raynor and had very impressive muscles. The most frightening were however his eyes that were black at one moment but changed into yellow the next and radiated inhuman intelligence.

„I see now why you spoke so highly of this Belhtazor. It's a nice looking toy."

Phoebe's blood boiled as she heard him speaking about Cole as if he were an object. But the demon continued.

„Give it to me for a night" it wasn't a request more like an order and seeing Raynor's facial expression he knew it as well. „Comrades share everything, don't they?"

„I don't have desires like you, Baran. I've never used the boy like that" Raynor said unwillingly

„What's the matter Raynor? Are those human emotions infecting you as well?" Baran asked teasingly.

„You know that's impossible. But I put a lot of work in Belthazor and I don't want it to go into waste."

„Don't worry, I won't break it I just play a little bit. And consider this: a night with me and his human side might break irreversibly."

The slight smile that appeared on Raynor's face wasn't very promising for Phoebe.

„If you promise that you won't kill him, I'll send him over tomorrow evening."

Baran rubbed his palms together: „I promise."

„Good night, Lord Baran."

„Not as good as the upcoming one" he answered.

Raynor went back to Cole.

„We are leaving" he said immediately.

„Is something wrong, Master?"

„Yes. We have to talk about something but only at home."

Phoebe followed them back home and into Raynor's study.

„After you were introduced to the Source Lord Baran requested me for a talk and..." he trailed off and he seemed really troubled, Phoebe had to admit that he had talent. As a human he could have been an actor. „He would like to meet you tomorrow" he finished.

Cole must have known this Baran as he gulped visibly and paled a little bit.

„But he is..." the young demon stuttered.

„Yes. He's a monster but I can't say no to his request. He's the right-hand man of our Ruler and if he gets angry at us then he can cause unimaginable damage. Do you understand this?"

„Yes, Master..." it was only a whisper.

Raynor put a hand on Cole's shoulder.

„Listen to me, my boy! You have to stay only for one night. Don't show fear and don't scream."

Cole nodded.

„Remember: whatever he does to you take it proudly because this is about dominance. He wants to show us that he is our superior, if you don't break than you show him that this is not true."

Cole nodded again more determined this time.

„Now go and take your rest!"

Cole and Phoebe went back into his small room (it was still the same, Phoebe had seen before) and Cole lied down instantly. Phoebe heard and saw though that he was tossing and turning for hours before he fell into restless sleep.

The next day Phoebe spent with following Cole around. He was doing nothing just wondering around the house obviously nervously. And the evening arrived too quickly and Cole had to start off. He shimmered to a similar building he himself lived in. When he knocked a servant opened the door and looked the visitor up and down.

„Are you Belthazor?" he asked.

„Yes."

„Lord Baran already waits for you, come after me!"

After a short walk they stopped in front of a simple wooden door that the servant opened, urged Cole inside and then closed it after him. The room was empty except a bed, and Baran wasn't there either. Phoebe could see how scared and nervous Cole was, he was pacing back and forth until the door opened. In that moment though he stopped immediately and every emotion disappeared from his face. He stood straight and steady and stood the demon's gaze.

Baran however obviously liked this demonstration of pride and strength because he smiled hungrily.

„I hope your Master prepared you well."

He stepped to his prey and raised Cole's head by the chin and turned it first left then right. He was much taller than Cole and however Cole was neither short nor very thin anymore he looked almost like a boy next to Baran.

„You know, I don't know whether your Lord mentioned it to you, but I have some special desires" with a quick movement he dropped down his robe and under it he was totally naked. His body was like his face, black and partly covered in fur and Phoebe also could see that there were some huge scars on his chest.

Cole winced but then the mask was thrown back into place. Phoebe on the other hand felt sick and if she had been here bodily she would have surely collapsed.

„I see you understand what I'm talking about" he licked his mouth and all of a sudden hit Cole on the side of his head so hard that he fell to the knees.

The demon yanked him up again and pushed him against the stone-wall.

„I'm sure that we will have a lot of fun... or at least I will.."

Phoebe turned and ran out through the door. Once being out of the room she slid to the ground and started to sob. Not just because of what she was sure would soon happen inside. She was upset with herself just as much: the things she told to Cole echod in her mind. _…save yourself... you had your choice... I don't want to see you anymore! _How could she be so cruel?

She could have never imagined that life in the Underworld was like this. To tell the truth she never thought about demons that much: they were the bad guys, the ones they had to vanquish and that was all. But now she realized that this was a whole different world. A cold, cruel and terrifying world with its own rules.

She pulled her knees to her chest and leant against the door. Even through the thick door she could hear the sounds. Grunting and growling and thuds and once a loud crashing sound. She could only imagine what was going on in there... she simply couldn't go back and watch.

She rememberred what Raynor told: _Don't scream! _And Cole did as he was told because she knew that all the sounds she heard were coming form the demon. This was probably the worst. He was young and he trusted his Master, he thought that Raynor had no chance that he was sorry to send him here. Did he ever realized how Raynor manipulated him? Phoebe wondered. Maybe she would ask him once about it...

The noises got louder and Phoebe buried her face in her arms and tried to close out the horrible pictures that bombarded her thoughts.

She didn't know how long she was sitting there but once she realized that everything went quiet. It must have been hours since they arrived. Before she could have wondered about it longer the door behind her opened and she had to jump (not as if it could have cause any trouble, it was only instict!).

Cole staggered out and Phoebe was surprised that he could manage even that. He looked like hell: she has never seen anybody so beaten, bruised and bloody. As he stumbled along the corridor he left bloodstains on the wall and through the tears in his shirt she could see deep and long claw-marks on his back. He held his left arm close to his chest and Phoebe thought that it seemed to be broken, just like his shoulder. His face was the worst though, almost unrecognizable, already swollen and bloody from many cuts.

He managed to get to the door where the servant waited for him and let him out. As soon as he stepped outside and the door was closed behind Cole collapsed with a moan. For the third try he managed to stand up again, made two steps and dropped down again. Phoebe wanted to do something, anything to help him but she had no chance. After struggling a little bit further from the house Cole at last shimmered out.

This time though Phoebe didn't shimmer with him, she was surrounded with darkness again and then was falling until she landed on something hard.

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	6. Chapter 5: Piper

AN: Sorry for the long delay but I had some family issues (I still have and not pleasent ones I might add) but today I felt like writing again, so here it is. I don't think it is that good but I'm not used to write children (even if they are demonic!). So, please, tell me what you think. The next chapter won't take so long, I promise. It's practically ready I only have to type it because it's handwritten at the moment.

Well, enough from me! Here's the chapter, please read and enjoy!

**Chapter 5: Piper**

Piper opened her eyes to a very unfriendly enviroment. She was in a small cave-like room enlightened by a single candle where a girl about ten sat on a staw mattress staring at her hands quite desperately. She had long black hair and was dressed rather poorly: she was wearing old jeans and a shirt made of hessian. She didn't look up when a boy walked in who Piper this time recognized immediately as Cole, so she guessed that th girl was his sister.

„Drop this Rosie!" he said when he saw what his sister was doing.

The girl looked up and Piper saw that the similarity between them was even more pronounced than it had been before.

„I can't drop it because I'm going to fail again!" she said in a trembling voice.

„You can't possibly know it!"

„I can. And I know! You know I do, Cole!"

„Don't adress me as Cole..." he mumbled instead of reflecting on her remark.

„Then you shouldn't call me Rosie!" she said.

„It's time to go else we will be late" he changed the subject quickly.

The girl sighed but stood up and followed her brother. They had identical bags over their shoulders and they looked like two teenagers going to school. As Piper found out a little bit later this was exactly the case. For a while they were walking in silence until the girl – Rose – spoke again.

„Cole..."

„Hmm?"

„How do you do it?"

He shrugged.

„It just happens. I concetrate and then I feel the tingling as the energy builds up in my arms. Then I just throw it."

„It sounds so simple. I concentrate, I really do but I feel nothing and nothing happens..." she trailed off but then added. „You will be punished again because of me!"

„Don't worry about that."

Rose mumbled something under her nose.

„What was that?"

„Other students are punished when _they_ fail and not when somebody else fails..."

„The others don't have brothers or sisters."

„Divan has, for example..."

„But he hates his brother and probably would be happy if he were punished."

„And you don't hate me?"

„No, I don't."

„I don't hate you either" she declared.

„I'm very glad..." Cole smiled teasingly.

„Do you think that I really will manage this time?"

„Maybe, but don't worry: you're good at any other subjects!"

„But this is the most important one..."

„You should really drop this, Rose. It starts to become really boring."

Meanwhile they achieved their goal: a similar building to the house they lived in. It must have been a school as there were a lot of children in front of it.

Inside the two children split up and went to differet classrooms. After that Piper spent the day with visiting class after class and realized that demons were highly educated in a lot of things she has never even heard about.

Rose was very nervous the whole day and she was chided many times. Cole on the other did well in every lesson. Then in the afternoon Piper saw what Rose was so afraid of. They were in a training room where in the middle there was a human-sized puppet. The students had to throw energy-balls at the puppet. Rose was one of the lasts and by the time it was her turn she was almost trembling. Every other student managed for the first or second try they had problems only with their aiming.

The teacher was an arrogant female-demon who prodded the children constantly and she wasn't really nice.

„Let's do it!" she urged Rose.

The girl stretched out her arm and wrinkled her face in concentration. Nothing happened. She tried again, this time she bit in her lower lip. A faint mop of smoke appeared over her palm but it vanished immediately. The teacher stormed over to her and grabbed her shoulder roughly.

„You're pathetic! If you continue like this we have to considering to expell you! I thought you would try everything, I told you what will happen if you fail again!" she turned to the other students who were snickering at the scene. „The lesson is over! _You_ come with me!" she pulled the girl after herself along the corridor to another classroom.

She burst in without knocking.

„Cachran!"

The demon who held the lesson nodded at the female as a greeting and asked.

„Is something wrong, Nira?"

She frowned.

„I just need Belthazor!"

She gestured at Cole who stood up and followed the woman and his sister into the basement. Nobody said a word while they were walking. They went into an almost empty room. Piper didn't know it but it was the same room Phoebe had also seen before.

„Do it!" the female demon said and Cole obediently took off his shirt and kneeled down at the bench that was the only furniture in the room. The woman bound his wrists with leather stripes, then took the device that reminded Piper of a whip and started to hit on the boy's back.

Rose just stood there and watched and Piper understood what she had been talking about before: she failed in the lesson and Cole was punished for it. It was very cruel but at the same time very clever. The girl winced every time the whip stroke down however Cole didn't seem to take it too seriously.

Then suddenly something changed... Rose cried out and the theacher stopped the beating and looked at her and then dropped down the whip. Rose's eyes rolled back so that only the white of them could be seen. The teacher seemed to be very surprised but rushed to the girl's side.

„What are you seeing?" she asked urgently. „Tell me!"

Cole couldn't see what was happeneing and he started to tug at the restraints.

„What's going on?" he asked frantically, but he didn't get an answer.

„Tell me!" the woman said again.

Rose was gasping for air but started to speak in a whispering voice that sounded much older than a ten-year-old's.

„...I feel... power... so much power... a book... a demon is standing in front of it... his face is scarred and... has tribunal marks...if he touches the book... he will die... he can't touch it... it's poisoned... poisoned..."

Her head fell back and then she collapsed.

„What's going on? Rose!" Cole asked again and when there was no answer he simply turned into his demon form (it was strange to see Belthazor as a child!) and tore the restraints easily. The next moment he was at his sister's side.

Just in that moment the teacher jumped up: „You stay here!" And then rushed out of the room.

Cole didn't even listen to her, he was concentrating on waking up his sister.

„Rose! Rosie!" he was caressing her face with such a gentle touch that Piper could in no way associate with a demon. Rose slowly opened her eyes.

„What happened?" she asked.

„I think you had a vision or something..."

„Oh... I remember... I think."

„Professor Nira made you tell her what you were seeing" Cole said.

„Was she angry?"

„I don't think so... she seemed to be rather... frightened."

„Frightened?" the girl asked back and Piper heard that her voice was a little bit slurry.

„Are you okay?" Cole asked anxiously.

„I'm tired..."

„Then rest!"

He pulled her head into his lap and leant against the wall. After that they were waiting there in silence until the demon-professor came back. She won back her cool appearance.

„I reported to the director and he went to Our Liege. Your information was very important but this doesn't mean that I forgot the punishment. Twice as much actually because you tore the restraints."

Then Piper had to watch as the teenager was bound back to the bench and beaten unmercifully with the whip. The most unnerving thing was that Cole seemed to take it quite easily. After they finished his legs were a little bit unsteady but he won back his balance after a few moments and they walked home.

A few hours later the two children were in their room again preparing for sleep. Cole was lying on the staw-matress on his stomach, while Rose was covering a blanket on the floor.

„I can still sleep on the floor" Cole said to his sister.

„No!" she answered immediately. „It's okay. I don't want you to be hurt even more."

„Blew out the candle then."

Rose did as she was told and lied down curling into a ball.

„Cole?" she asked after a while.

„Yes?"

„Is your back still hurting?"

„No."

„You're a liar!"

„Then why do you ask?"

„Just so... Do you think that they really would expell me from school?"

„I don't think so. What happened today seemed to be very important and I suspect that Master was praised for it. He was happy when we came home."

„It was scary... to see all those things, I mean."

„Demons are never scared" Cole said matter-of-factly.

„Didn't you hear it often enough? I'm not a proper demon!"

„Yes, you are. Nira just told so because she was angry."

„No, I think she is right."

„No, she isn't and now sleep!"

There was silence for a while and then Rose asked again.

„Cole?"

„Hmm?"

„Are you still awake?"

„No."

„Could you tell me about that man...you know...father?"

„I'll tell you tomorrow."

„Please! I can't sleep..."

Cole sighed and started to speak.

„Well... when you were born we didn't live here in the Underworld but in a town up on the surface. Father lived there with us. He was a very nice man who smiled a lot. But he had no powers..."

„Then I'm like him..." Rose mumbled.

„No, Rosie. I mean that he wasn't a demon at all. He was a human."

„Yeah, I know..."

„He might have been a human but he knew a lot of things. He was a professor at a university..." Cole spoke as if he were telling a bedtime-story.

„What's a university?" she asked curiously.

„It's like a school but people learn very complicated things there and you have to be very clever to teach there. And our father invented some very important things as well..."

„What?"

„I don't remember" he went silent for a while but then continued. „But this wasn't the best thing about him. Every night when we had to go to bed, he came into our room, tucked us in, kissed us and then told a story. Every night a different one."

Rose sighed silently but Piper saw that she has almost slept in already.

„I wish I hadn't forgotten them..." the next words he only whispered. „I think he loved us..."

About half an hour later when Piper supposed that the children were already sleeping the door burst open and both Cole and Rose jumped as if they were struck by lightning. Their lord, or master or whatever they called him came in and he didn't seem happy. He just grabbed Rose's shoulder and pulled at her:

„Come!"

Cole stared at them frightened and before they could leave, he collected his courage and asked.

„What happened?"

„It's none of your business! Go back to sleep!"

The door was closed with a bang and the boy just stared for a while at it. Then he sneaked out of the room and followed the departing pair unawares. Piper had to admit that he was a natural in spying. Raynor, however he was joined by to guards, didn't notice his student.

They didn't go long when they achieved a small cave and went inside. Cole looked around carefully and then followed them. He was lucky because there were a lot of rocks and he could easily hide behind one. The room looked like some kind of sanctum. There were strange statues around the walls and a stonbench in the middle. Three women stood around it and behind them three other demons. Raynor nodded at the women and without a word pushed Rose forward. One of the women, a short, dark-skinned female-demon with curly dark hair gestured at a guard who stepped forward and boosted up the girl.

She tried to struggle but had no chance of course. She was carried to the stoneblock and Piper only now saw that there were shackles on it for the wrists and the ankles. Rose was quickly restrained and after a few seconds she stopped struggling.

Cole was crouching behind the rock and Piper saw how he paled. When the three women stood in circle around the girl and started to chant some spell he jumped forward shouting.

„No!" he looked at Raynor begging. „Don't let this happen, Master! Don't! They rob her powers!"

The upper-level demon looked down at him with cold eyes.

„I can't do anything" he said and waved at the guards. One of them grabbed Cole by the shoulders but it wasn't that easy to stop him. He almost managed to tear himself from the grip.

„You can't do this! Stop! Stop it, please!"

The adult demon was unfortunately much stronger and practically picked Cole up from the floor and started to lug him out of the cave.

„No!" the black woman said suddenly. „Let him watch!"

The demon turned but still held on to Cole and when the boy continued to shout the demon simply put a hand on his mouth. After that only muffled sounds could be heard from him and even those were drown out by the loud chanting of the women.

They spoke quicker and quicker. The bound child started to tremble first, then her back arched from the stone and she went totally rigid. One of the women pulled out a small vial and stepped to the girl's head. With a quick movement she poured the content of the vial into the child's eyes. Piper has never heard somebody scream like this, especially not a child.

This made Cole struggle even harder. The demon got bored after a while and hit his captive on the head so hard that the boy's eyes went hazy.

After a few moments Rose stopped screaming, her head lolled back, she fell back to the stone and went totally limp. For a second Piper thought that she died but then saw that her chest rised and falled regularly.

„What are you going to do with her?" the black woman asked Raynor but the man only shrugged.

„I have some interests in the outer areas. She can work there. When she wakes up send her to Pirax, he will deal with it.

Meanwhile the demon let go of Cole who fell to the knees instantly. Raynor called him without looking at him.

„Belthazor! Come!"

As he got no reaction he pulled the boy up by his shirt.

„Don't make me ask again!"

Piper saw that his eyes were glistening and he was gulping deeply a few times but he followed his master obediently with his head bowed. After walking a while he asked quietly.

„Why did they do this?"

„Your sister had a special power, a useful but dangerous one. The Seers don't let new members into their circle unless one of them dies. And they would never chose a half-blood. They kill all of their potential rivals but I managed to persuade our Liege that she still might be useful. So they only took away her power and her eyesight. She still might have some glimpses into the future occasionaly though."

„Can I see her sometimes?" the question was barely audiable.

„We will see" Raynor answered with a frown. „If you behave properly."

The world suddenly faded out around Piper and she fell into total darkness again.

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	7. Chapter 6: Prue

AN: Sorry again for the long delay but unfortunately I still have those family-problems I mentioned beforebut now here is the next chapter. Enjoy and please let me know how you liked it!

**Chapter 6: Prue**

She found herself in a sinister chamber this time and of course she realized immediately that she still wasn't at home. It was quite dark as only two torches illuminated the room. Chains and different devices were hanging on the wall that reminded Pure of the Spanish inquisition.

In the middle there was a contraption where a man was stretched out in restraints between two upright poles. It was Cole. He was naked from the waist up and Prue could see deep cuts and bruises on his chest and back. His head was tipped down and he seemed to be unconsious. But it really only seemed so because when the door opened he looked up immediately and his eyes were alert.

„Good morning! Good morning!" said the arriving demon cheerfully. It was the demon who Prue saw in the former memory, so she guessed this must have been the continuation of that one. Its name was Harak, Prue rememberred. „I see you aren't very talkative today!"

Cole followed every move the demon made, but didn't react to his words.

„Today we will try out a new method!" he went on with the talk.

He took out a bottle from under his robe. He raised it up and swang it in front of Cole. The glass was misty but Prue saw something moving in it. The demon opened the bottle, and took out that thing: it reminded Prue of a centipede, only that it was bigger than a common one. It was about five centimeters long and quite ugly.

„Do you know what this is?" Harak asked, but didn't expected an answer. „I bet you do, you had perfect education, after all! This is a Dulan-worm!"

He dropped back the worm into the bottle and took a knife instead.

„You know, I got quite bored of our little game. It has been going on for two years. It's our anniversary today!"

Two years? Prue studied Cole a little bit closer and she could see the signs of the long imprisonment. Under the new cuts there were older ones, and even older scars. And he was so thin that she could count his ribs. After looking into his eyes again she also saw that he seemed to be extremely exhausted.

„Two years..." the demon continued. „And we still didn't achieve anything. Of course, I broke every bone in your body, some of them more than once but other than that? But the Source wants results soon. So I decided to take some radical measures."

He made a cut with the knife under the lowest rib. Then put down the knife and took out the worm again. He held it over the wound and the animal raised its head and started to struggle around.

„If I put this worm on the wound it will gnaw itself under your skin. Then very slowly it will eat you up from the inside. You can live with it for three or four weeks but you will wish that you would die."

„Hearing your stupid blurb already makes me wish that..." said Cole cutting in the monologue.

„If I were you I would spare my strength" warned the demon. „Where was I? Ah, yes! Well you can save yourself but only in one way. If you let your demonic side rule you, you will be saved because the Dulan can't live in demons."

With a nonchalant move he dropped the worm on the wound. It started to lick at the blood immeidatley, then suddenly pushed its head into the wound. Cole jerked and Prue felt like wretching.

„As I mentioned, you can live for three or four weeks, but I don't think that we have to wait that long. I used this little animal a few times before and the longest time, somebody lasted was five hours."

He stepped next to Cole, and Prue realized that the construction he was bound to, could be moved with a lever. The demon put it level.

„I think it will be better this way... and now, I'll leave you alone. Just call if you need something!"

When he left, Cole tried to raise his head so that he could see the worm but he didn't really manage. Prue thougth it was better this way because it already vanished half-way in the wound. It was the most disgusting and terrifying thing she has ever seen in her life. She shivered just from thinking about how it must feel when those small legs move in somebody's body.

Cole's body jerked again and again and perspiration started to cover his forehead and face. The minutes ticked by slowly. Prue didn't know how much time went by, maybe about an hour when Cole suddenly started to dragging at his restraints with all his might and struggling so strongly that Prue was afraid that he would break some bones. _Afraid?_ She realized suddenly. _Since when am I worried about a demon?_ But she knew the answer. She was sure that she would have given up after twenty minutes or so.

Cole stopped just as suddenly as he began his frenzy. He was wheezing.

„Oh... my god..." he moaned. „Breathe... deep..."

In that moment the door opened and Harak walked in again. It seemed as if he had felt somehow that his prisoner got to some kind of breaking point.

„How are you feeling?

„I...won't give up..." Cole mumbled, rather to himself than to the demon.

„We will see" he went closer and examined Cole's chest. „As I see it arrived at the ribs. Did you know that this worm can coil around bones and break them? It might go over all your ribs before it starts on your inner organs."

Cole looked at him with eyes that could have murdered. Prue felt the same way.

„Well, I'll go then! I really don't want to nerve you!"

He left again and time went on in silence. Prue was almost dozing off when Cole screamed all of a sudden and it startled her so much that she jumped up. She stepped to Cole's side and studied him: he was gasping for air and was sweating, he also shut his eyes tightly.

Then suddenly he opened his eyes and looked exactly at Prue.

„Is anyone here?" he asked in a qiet voice. And then: „Great... I'm already hallucinating..."

Prue wanted to ensure him that he wasn't alone, but had no means to do that of course.

Cole took some deep breathes, went quiet and gazed at the ceiling. Now and then he mumbled something and after a while Prue realized that he was counting. She just watched and slowly started to feel some respect for the half-demon.

„Ninety-five" he choked out more loudly and then screamed out again. Prue heard something crack faintly.

She didn't know how long she could bear to watch this. There was a long silence, only Cole's laboured breathing could be heard but then he started to speak again in a wobbly voice.

„...this can't be...no..."

And just then Harak came back again.

„Do you know how much time went by?" he asked. „Six hours! With this you officially broke the record! Do you want to try for more or do you give up?"

Cole just mumbled something but Prue couldn't make out what, obviously the demon could neither, as he asked back:

„Pardon?"

„Go to hell..."

„Oh, I won't do that favour."

He mooned along for a while before leaving and then things turned into terrible monotony. Cole cried out form time to time, or moaned or just jerked or shivered. There was a point where he screamed for a total of five minutes and Prue already thought that she would have gone crazy if he hadn't stopped.

Prue guessed that hours went by before somthing changed. But it wasn't for the better. Cole screamed out again and started to tug at the restraints.

„Don't... move... please... just stop..."

There was so much desperation in his voice that it brought tears into Prue's eyes. She knew of course that at some point Cole gave up as he lived as a demon when they met him but now she wished that point would come already!

He was trembling harder.

„No...no...no..."

„Stop! Please, stop already!" Prue shouted at him involuntary but of course he couldn't hear it. Instead of stopping he muttered on but Prue had to go closer to hear what he was saying.

„My name's... Cole Turner...I'm...human..." he repeated it again and again until the words turned into incomprehensible whimpers.

Then he let out a long and painful sound and Prue somehow felt that it was over. She saw in shock that tears rolled down his face.

He shivered again but this time it had a different cause: he turned into his demon-form.

And this was the point when the world turned blurry for Prue not just because she couldn't avoid the tears but because the scene was over and she was stepping out of it. When she could see clearly again she was back in the Manor and looked in the disturbed eyes of her sisters.

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AN2: All right, there is one more chapter to go and I'll try to update it today if I manage to stay awake for a while! So hopeflully see you soon!

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	8. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

The girls woke up at the front door and for a moment they just stared at each-other in stunned silence.

„What the hell do you think this was?" asked Piper who won back her voice as first.

„I think...somebody... or something showed us that we were unfair..." Phoebe whispered. She was still under the influence of the scene that she saw and she felt tears in her eyes again.

„Who... or what?" asked back Piper.

„Maybe magic itself" Prue said. „Do you remember when we misused our powers and were propelled into the future? I think this was something like that..."

„You might be right."

Phoebe jumped up and took her coat.

„Where are you going?" asked Piper.

„I have to talk to Cole. I'll go to the Mausoleum. I hope I won't be late..."

„I don't think so" said Prue and smiled. „Bring him home if you find him..."

„Home?" she asked back surprised.

„Yeah..." and Piper nodded as well.

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There was total darkness in the mausoleum when Phoebe arrived and she walked down the stairs cautiosly. She was anxious that she was late... that she pushed Cole back into darkness with her harsh words. Thanks God he glimpsed Cole's sleeping form in the shadows of the main sarcophagus. His knees were pulled to his chest and covered with his coat and his head rested on top of them.

„Cole!" she said quietly.

The man woke up immediately and instinctively an energy-ball appeared in his left hand. As soon as he saw who stood in front of him he extuingished it and stood up.

„Phoebe..." she could see the miscredit on his face. „What are you doing here?"

„I came to apologize..."

„Apologize? But why?"

„Because I was unfair. I din't listen to you and I pushed you away when you needed me the most. Can you forgive me?"

„Forgive?" he still seemed to be rather stunned. „I don't understand... you don't have to apologize... _I_ was the one who messed up completely..."

The next moment Phoebe was in his arms and they hugged each-other thighter than ever.

„Come! Let's go back to the Manor!"

„To your house?" asked back Cole more than surprised.

„Yes."

„And your sisters?"

„They agree."

„But how could this be? I really don't understand..." Then he probably saw something in her eyes because he asked. „What happened?"

„We had … a small journey with the power of magic. We saw some... scenes from your... past" she answered hesitantly.

She felt Cole tensing in her arms.

„What exactly did you see?"

„I don't know what the others saw but I saw you in that school with Raynor and later with another demon" her voice cracked remembering the scene, „Baran."

Cole just frowned.

„It must have looked worse to you than it really was" he said simply and Phoebe didn't know what to say to that as it seemed that he meant it seriously. „I don't know whether I should be happy about this or not but if it helped you to forgive me then I won't complain. I'll shimmer us back then."

They arrived in Phoebe's bedroom which was perfect for her plans. She felt an overpowering desire to kiss him and so she did.

„I'm so sorry" she repeated when she could breathe again. „I love you."

„I love you too" he answered and they didn't leave the room for quite a long time.

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Hours later Phoebe was sleeping but Cole couldn't, he watched her beautiful feature for a while but then he decided to leave. He didn't want to distrub her in her peaceful sleep.

Quietly he dressed up and left the room. To his surprise he heard voices from the living-room and just as he thought that it would be better to shimmer out, Piper and Leo came out into the hall. He got an even bigger surprise when Piper smiled at him.

„I'm happy that you are back!"

„Really?"

„Yes. I hope you're planning to stay!"

„Well... I guess..." he answered uneasily. „I'm just going for a walk."

„By the time you come back I prepare some breakfast" Piper said while they were walking in the kitchen's directions.

Cole walked out the front the door and on the top stair found the third sister. He faltered but before he could vanish Prue turned.

„Ah, it's you... would you like to join me?" she asked and pointed at the spot next to her.

Cole sat down without a word and waited. From the three siblings Prue was the hardest case. Phoebe forgave him that he could tell for sure, Piper seemed also be okay with him. _What the hell could she see? h_e wondered. But what about Prue?

„You know, it's hard when you have to change your opinion about something" she said quietly and Cole knew that this was worth an apology. Suddenly he couldn't decide whether he should laugh or feel touched. So he just said:

„I know. I, for example, used to hate witches..."

Prue smiled slightly but went serious again in a second.

„The Source seems to be very dangerous."

„You saw him?"

„Yes."

„Yes, he's very dangerous. But maybe I can serve with some useful information about him."

„I count on it. As I saw it you have quite a talent in defiance."

Cole could guess from this, what part of his past Prue saw.

„Can I ask you something?" she asked after a while.

„Yes..." but he wasn't sure that this was such a good idea.

„Did you kill him in the end?"

„Who?"

„That demon called Degan" Prue looked at him surprised when Cole smiled.

„I didn't have to, Rose did."

„Rose?"

„My sister. If you saw Degan then you had to see her as well."

„Yes, I did. And I saw something else as well. The Dulan-worm."

Cole frowned.

„You better don't remind me of that one."

„O.K. I just wanted to tell you that I wouldn't bear it as long as you did."

And htis was probably the greatest compliment that somebody could get from Prue Halliwell.

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The sun was arleady shining when Cole came back from his walk. The whole time he thought about how things will go after this. The knowledge that the girls now knew so much about him was frithening and liberating at the same time. And at the moment he couldn't decide which feeling of the two was stronger.

He walked into the house and found Piper in the kitchen.

„Sit down!" she said and there was no place for argument. Then she put out a plate and loaded it with scrambled eggs.

„What are you waiting for? Eat!" she ordered but smiled very kindly.

She sat down as well and started to pick at a pancake, because on a second plate there were a good amount of pancakes as well. She obviously wanted to tell something but she didn't know how to start.

„Just tell it!" he said. „Today I'm prepared for everything."

„You were a very cute little boy" and with this she still managed to stun the half-demon.

„Maybe I wasn't prepared for everything after all."

„Piper!" Prue's voice could be heard from the hall.

The middle-sister stood up but before she went out she said.

„I know that it won't be easy for you to get used to this new kind of life but if I can help you in anything just tell me!" and she caressed his head gently, then left.

Cole just sat there and looked after her in total confusion. He felt a strange warmness that he couldn't really identify as he still wasn't that good at human emotions but he thought that maybe this meant that after one-hundred years he found his home at last.

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AN: A lot of new ideas came to my mind while I was writing this story so there might be a sequel to it soon. Thank you for reading and thanks for the reviews!


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